Finding Your Passion

11/14/13

What is your passion? A question we sometimes find ourselves being asked but we are not sure how to answer it. Well, what do you love, what makes you happy? It is a lot easier to ask than it is to answer. The truth is we all have a passion deep down but it is not so easy to find. There is not a day when it magically comes to the surface and offers itself as the answer to your frustrations in finding the right job fit or life plan. It takes a lot of effort, a lot of self-discovery and a lot of speculation.

The truth is, finding your passion is hard and a bit scary. For me, in order to discover my passion, I had to step out of my comfort zone. I needed to find those things that gave me joy, what really made me excited. A lot of it had to do with opening up and being honest with myself. I needed to take risks and chances, make mistakes that I could learn from. As I began to discover my passion, I had to keep asking myself questions and continue to dig deeper.

But once I found my passion is when life really took off. With great passion comes a great journey. Finding my passion was only a small introduction to the real journey. Once I found what I was passionate about I was able to learn, grow, achieve and enjoy so much more. I took the opportunity to follow it and live it. Now, I am making myself a pro at following my passion.

When I was a little kid my dad always said, “Learn what you love to do and then figure out how to make money while doing it.” And so the journey began, finding my passion, my niche, what I am good at, what I love, what makes my clock tick and world spin. Easier said than done.

It took me a long time to find my passion. I had to look at myself and be realistic. I love to talk, I love to teach and coach. It is obvious that my passion could have led me right into a high school as a teacher. However, I knew how much money a teacher or a coach made and I knew it wasn’t enough to let me live how I wanted to. So I kept digging and searching. Right out of college I opened my own business. At this point I had no idea how I would get the chance to live my passion, it was just a stepping stone.

At my restaurant/bar, Lazzaris, day in and out I realized that the opportunity to teach, or help an employee make a decision or think through something, really made me happy and excited. I just felt so connected and in love with what I was doing. That is when I realized I can still be a coach and teacher – I just have to change the stage. I can do what I love here, but do I really want to run a bar my whole life? No, I want more. I want bigger challenges. Eventually I sold the restaurant and bought the family business, KB Janitorial Services. From that day forward my journey began and I have loved every minute of it.

When I came to KB I knew there was work to be done and changes to be made. I wanted to create this stellar culture that embodied not only my passion but the passions of the whole team. During the process of molding the KB culture I learned quickly that it couldn’t and shouldn’t be about me. No one wants to follow my vision or passion because it isn’t true to them, not like it is to me. That is when I decided I want my employees to be here for their own reasons and self-fulfillment, not mine. And as we added people to the team who were there to follow their own passions it all came together. Everyone has their own passion and follows that passion and allows their passion to align with the mission and vision of the company. Thus creating a well-blended culture that allows amazing stuff to happen. Together we offer exceptional service and peace of mind for all involved. Passionate people attract and work well together. Since we can all align with our own passion and vision, the culture at KB just works and it makes me so happy and excited to watch it all unfold in front of me.

The best advice I can give in regards to your passion is to go out and find it, then have the guts to live it!